MLB: Kodai Senga: Francisco Lindor’s Grand Slam sends Mets to NLCS with 4-1 win over Phillies in Game 4 of NLDS

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, his final clutch swing in an extraordinary season, and the New York Mets reached the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday .

Edwin Díaz retired Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to end it as New York shut down the rival Phillies in Game 4 of their best-of-five Division Series, winning 3-1 to make its first postseason appearance ‘ series to complete at home. in 24 years.

Immediately afterwards, in a raucous locker room, the Mets held their first champagne-soaked clinching party in Citi Field’s 16-season history.

“This is the kind of thing I dreamed about,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said in a clubhouse interview shown on the giant video board in the middle. “This has taken a long time. We wanted it so bad for our fan base.”

After three days of rest, New York opens the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday at the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego held a 2-1 lead in their NLDS heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night.

“Let’s keep this thing running!” Mets slugger Pete Alonso told the reveling fans still in the stands as he left the clubhouse party for an on-field interview with his large glasses shielding his eyes. “So proud of this group. We have overcome so much.”

For the NL East champion Phillies, who won 95 games and finished ahead of the wild-card Mets six times during the regular season, it was an acrimonious exit early in the playoffs and a disappointing step back after they advanced to the 2022 World Series and then lost Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS at home to Arizona.

After falling short again in October, Bryce Harper and the Phillies are still looking for the franchise’s third championship.

“We really have a great group. We got beaten in a close series,” said manager Rob Thomson.

Perhaps overprotective at the plate with so much on the table, the Mets left the bases loaded in the first and second inning against starter Ranger Suárez and stranded eight runners in the first five innings.

They put three runners on again in the sixth, this time with no one out, before No. 9 hitter Francisco Alvarez drove home against All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman.

With the season on the line, Thomson then called up Carlos Estévez to face Lindor, who drove a 2-1 100-mph fastball into Philadelphia’s bullpen in right-center, giving New York a 4 -1 lead and the sold-out crowd of 44,103 went into a frenzied, bouncing, throbbing frenzy.

With his first home run of these playoffs, Lindor joined Shane Victorino and Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome as the only Major League players with two postseason grand slams. The star shortstop also connected for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of a 2017 AL Division Series.

Edgardo Alfonzo hit the only other postseason slam in Mets history, during a 1999 Division Series in Arizona.

Fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” when Lindor disappeared into the dugout and again when he took his defensive position in the seventh.

Game 3 on Tuesday was Lindor’s first chance to play at Citi Field since Sept. 8 after missing time due to a back injury.

But few, if any, players have been as valuable to their team this year as Lindor, who has delivered a remarkable string of big hits and crucial contributions as the Mets rallied from a 24-35 start to their first NLCS since losing the World Cup 2015. Series to Kansas City.

His game-tying home run in the ninth inning on September 11 in Toronto broke Bowden Francis’ no-hit bid and led to a critical Mets victory, and his go-ahead home run in the ninth on September 30 in Atlanta clinched a postseason berth.

Lindor also battled back from a 1-2 count to belt an eight-pitch walk in the ninth inning against All-Star closer Devin Williams last week in Milwaukee, helping set up Alonso’s season-opening homer New York in the Wild saved. Card series clincher.

Mets starter Jose Quintana didn’t allow an earned run in five-plus innings of two-hit ball, and David Peterson pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Díaz walked his first two batters in the ninth, drawing groans from the stands, but retired the next three batters (two on strikeouts) for the first postseason save of his career.

The Phillies stopped all series at the plate except for a late comeback to win Game 2 at home, scoring their only run on an error by third baseman Mark Vientos in the fourth.

Hoffman picked up his second loss, the latest flop from a Philadelphia bullpen that failed to produce results throughout the series.

“Some of it is execution, maybe it’s also familiarity with our guys,” Thomson said. “I don’t know. It should work both ways though.”